The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth

Eleven days ago, I picked up a copy of Leigh Montville’s “The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth.” Since I don’t have a lot of time to read, I’m only about halfway through it now. Nonetheless, I wanted to share with you that this is an incredible book and one that I think any Yankees fan would enjoy.

Since it’s already a national bestseller, I won’t go on and on about it here. If you look around, you’ll find that this book has received good reviews.

What’s amazed me so far in the story is just unencumbered Babe Ruth was - in the way that he dealt with everything in his life. Sure, we’ve heard stories about him, on this, before. Still, Montville paints the picture of this aspect of the Babe with such focus that it’s enlightening beyond what I’ve imagined.

If you’re looking for a great baseball book to read, and you were on the fence about “The Big Bam,” or, if you were not aware of it, you should grab this one. It’s probably one of the better baseball biographies ever written - certainly in the top twenty-five ever.

August 17, 2007 | Filed Under Reviews

Comments

3 Responses to “The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth”

JeremyM on August 17th, 2007 6:31 pm

I read “The Big Bam” during the spring and enjoyed it as well. (This may be heresy, but I did slightly enjoy the author’s book on Ted Williams more, but to me guys like Ruth, Williams, Mantle, Mays, etc. cut across team loyalties as far as reading material is concerned.) I read the highly acclaimed Ruth bio by Robert Creamer some years ago, and this was a lot more readable and enjoyable.

To me, this brought Ruth the man to life and lifted him off the page, far away from the typical cliches about how many hot dogs he could eat. It’s a must read.

I also highly recommend “Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig” about the guy that’s really the greatest Yankee of all, in my eyes. The thing that kind of surprised me most of all was that in some ways, Ruth’s death was as tragic as Gehrig’s (how do you rate them though, really?). Both guys really deserved better.
bloodyank78 on August 17th, 2007 11:47 pm

I read it and loved it. However, it really showed how much baggage and distraction the Babe brought with him. Kinda like someone we know now, huh? If Steve were alive in the 20’s I wonder if he’d hem and haw to his fellow patron at the speakeasy on how the Babe’s offense should be punted for some player with less “drama for his mama”. LOL.
(http://www.waswatching.com/archives/2007/08/august_7th_the_1.html#comments
Steve Lombardi on August 19th, 2007 12:01 am

~~~I also highly recommend “Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig” ~~~

I am SO OVERDUE to read that one.

bloodyank78 - FWIW, I have wondered, at times, while reading this book, so far, how Ruth would have been viewed today. In his time, he was one major PITA for a team to deal with, for sure. Heck, the Yankees, at one point, suspended him for the remainder of a season, because of his “drama.”